Rail-joint.



C. STEWART.

RAIL JOINI.

APPLIOATIOF FILED DEO.1B,191L

1,026, 718 Patented May 21,1912.

ATTORNEYS 6: 611mm r ture.

CHARLES STEWART, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 18, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1.912. Serial No. 666,418.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES STEWART, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of'Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

'This invention relates to rail joints and has for its object to provide means in a manner as hereinafter set forth for' efiiciently connecting the opposing ends of a pair of track rails, at the same time provid ing for the necessary expansion and contraction of the rails when occasion so requires.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a rail joint which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, dgrable efiicient in its use, conveniently set up, an comparatively inexpensive to manufac- With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, ment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and nodifications can be resorted to which come within the scope .of the claims hereunto appended.

In describing the invention in detail, ref erence is had to the accompanying drawing in which I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint in connection with this invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional plan, Fig; 3 is a cross sectional view, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one end of the combined bolt retainer and fish plate, and Fig. 5 is 'a perspective view of a portion of the retaining plate for the combined bolt retainer and fish plate.

Referring to the drawing, 6 and 7 denote a pair of track rails, each of which includes a web 8 formed with bolt openings 9. The bases 10 of the track rails are mounted upon the base plate 11 of a rail chair, the latter having. formed integral therewith a fish plate 12 which overlaps one side of the bases 10 of the track rails and abuts against the webs 8. The fish plate 12 is formed with a series of bolt openings 13 through whichextend the headed bolts 14. The heads of the wherein is shown an embodi bolts are indicated at 15 and abut against the outer face of the fish plate. 12. The shanks of the bolts'13 extend through the openings9 and are provided with a reduced portion 16 at a point removed from their free ends. The base 11 of therail chair is :of greater width than the bases 10 of the track rails, undersuch conditions, projecting from the longitudinal edges of the bases 10 as at 17. The projecting portion 17 of the plate 11 approximately centrally thereof is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 18 for a purpose to be presently referred to.

Positioned again t that side of the webs 8 opposite that sifle against which abuts the fish plate 12, is a combined bolt retainer and fish plate 18, the latter being formed with a longitudinally extending slot 19 and an enlarged opening 20 in proximity to one end of the slot 19. is formed wit-h an outwardly extending rectangular lug 21 for-a purpose to be presently referred to. The plate 18 is positioned .so as to engage the underneath face of the heads of the track rails and the upper face of the bases of the rails. The plate 18 is slid in position from one end so as to suecessively permit the passage of the bolts 9 through the opening 20, the reduced port-ion Each end of the plate 18 '16- of the shanks of each of the bolts being positioned in the slot 19, the shoulders 22 formed by the reduced portions of the shanks abutting against the outer face of the plate 18, and under such conditions, it does not necessitate the employment of nuts for maintaining the bolts in position from transverse movement. To prevent the plate 18 from longitudinal movement with respectto the track rails, an angle-shaped retaining plate 23 is provided having openings 24 for the outer, ends of the shanks of the bolts 14. The retaining plate 23 is positioned between the lugs 21 and upon the; outer ends of the shanks of the bolts. Tli'e retaining plate 23 centrally thereof is provided with a rectangular depending arm 25 which extends through the slot 18 and is maintained in posit-ion by a key 26 which extends through an opening 27 of the arm 25 and engages the lower face of of the chair To disconrfizct the track sections, it is necessary first to remove the retaining plate 23 after which the plate 18 can be slid longitudinally until the bolts 9 are successively the base plate 11 removed through their respective bolt openings. v

What I claim is 1. A rail joint comprising a combined rail chair and fish plate positioned in operative relation with respect to a pair of track rails, bolts extending through said fish plate and the track rails, said bolts having their shanks provided with reduced portions, a longitudinally slotted fish plate mounted upon the reduced portions of said shanks and engaged by the shoulders formed by the reduced portions to prevent t-ainsverse -1novement of said bolts, and means engaging with the rail chair and mounted upon said bolts to prevent longitudinal movement of said slotted fish plate. A rail joint comprising a combined 'rail chair and fish plate positioned in operative relation with respect to a pair of track rails, bolts extending through said fish plate and the track rails, said bolts having their shanks provided with reduced portions, a longitudinally slotted .fish plate mounted upon the reduced portions of said shanks.

and engaged by the shoulders formed by the reduced portions to prevent transverse movement of said bolts, said slotted fish plate provided at each end with an outwardly extending lug, and means mounted upon the shanks of the bolts, interposed between said lugs and-connected with said chair to prevent longitudinal movement of said slotted fish plate.

A rail joint comprising a pair of fish plates, longitudinally extending slot, said plates positioned in operative relation with respect to a pair of track rails, bolts extending through said fish plates and the track rails, said bolts having their shanks provided with reduced portions positioned in the slotted fish plates, the shoulders formed by said reduced portions abutting against the slotted fish plates thereby preventing transverse movement of the bolts, and meanslnountecl upon the shanks of the bolts to prevent longitudinal movement 0t said slotted fish plate.

In testimony whereof I a'ltix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

Cl-LXRLES STEVVART.

W'itnesses llIAx H. SROLOVITZ,

CHRISTINA T. 11001).

one of said plates provided with a 

